Plant, care, cut, fertilize and more

Plant dahlias properly

With professional planting, you set the course for a dreamy dahlia bloom well into autumn. Pay attention to the following process and put Georgina in the best blooming mood right from the start:

• Planting time for Georgina tubers begins at the end of April
• advanced dahlias do not plant out before mid-May
• Prepare the soil in a finely crumbly manner in a sunny, warm and freshly moist location
• Work the sifted compost, guano granules and horn shavings into the clod
• Plant each flower at a distance of 50-100 cm so that the top of the bulb is covered with 5 cm of soil
• Equip tall growing varieties with a ring support or tie to a stick

If you cultivate a dwarf dahlia in a pot or balcony box, drainage over the water outlet prevents unwanted waterlogging.
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care tips

Georginas can hardly be topped as a summer flower in terms of willingness to bloom and endurance if they are given the following care:

• Keep dahlias constantly slightly moist and allow the substrate to dry in between
• Organic every 14 days from May to July fertilize with compost, guano, bark humus or horn shavings
• Clean up wilted and faded leaves immediately to ensure a long flowering period
• Before the first frost, cut off each flower to 10 cm and dry upside down

Dahlias hibernate best in a dark basement room at temperatures between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius. Place the tubers on a wire rack or in a sandbox.
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Which location is suitable?

Native to the sun-drenched regions of Mexico, georgines develop their optimum in a sunny location, without sweltering midday heat. In partially shaded locations, the flowers usually fall short of expectations. The flower feels comfortable in an airy place as long as it has support and cannot tip over. In addition to the sunny, warm location, the soil should be well-drained, humic and rich in nutrients. Dahlias never want to be confronted with permanently moist soil or even waterlogging.
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The right planting distance

The height of a dahlia defines the planting distance. Plant medium-sized georgines up to 120 cm high at a distance of 40-60 cm. If the growth height of dahlias exceeds this, choose a distance of 100 cm to the neighbor. For dwarf dahlias and in flower boxes, a planting distance of 15-20 cm is sufficient.

What soil does the plant need?

Choose a soil for georgines that is both loose, humus-rich and rich in nutrients. A sandy-loamy structure with no risk of waterlogging is ideal. If in doubt, optimize compacted soil with sand and enrich soil that is too sandy with compost or leaf soil. A soil acid test rounds off the choice of location with regard to its best possible quality. A score of 6.5 to 7.5 is considered ideal.

What is the best planting time?

Dahlias do not tolerate permafrost. Therefore, the time window for planting opens at the end of April at the earliest. To be on the safe side, we still recommend planting one day from mid-May. Experience has shown that once the cold Sophie has said goodbye, there is no longer a threat of ground frost. Be particularly careful when planting dangling georgines.
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When is flowering time?

The flowering period of georgines extends from July to October. The flower can only survive this long phase without interruption if you take the following measures to heart:

• Pinch off wilted flowers immediately
• Avoid nitrogen-rich fertilizers as these only drive foliage growth
• Support high-growing varieties right from the start, as prostrate shoots are difficult to flower
• Break buds out in the leaf axils to save energy for the large, terminal flowers

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Cut dahlias properly

With the secateurs significantly regulate the growth and abundance of flowers in georgines. Once the young plants have established themselves well and reached a height of 15-20 cm, cut off the shoot tips to encourage bushy, floriferous growth. If there are more than 4 or 5 main shoots growing on a flower, cut off the excess if you are aiming for extra large buds. In the course of the long flowering period, withered heads of a flower should be cleaned off immediately in order to attract fresh shoots. Shortly before the first frost, cut back all georgines to 10 cm before moving to the winter quarters.

watering dahlias

Georgines favor a mild humidity. Therefore, water regularly, without drowning a flower in water. Avoid wetting the foliage or even the flower. If you water directly on the root area, cunning fungal spores settle less frequently. If the lush flower spreads an idyllic ambience in the pot on the balcony, the substrate should be checked daily so that it can be watered immediately if it is dry.

Fertilize dahlias properly

The professional nutrient supply of georgines requires a sure instinct. If the flower receives an excess of nitrogen, the leaves will grow wildly and the flower lags behind. You can avoid this dilemma with organic fertilizers. How to do it right:

• Fertilize every 14 days from May to July with compost and horn shavings
• Provide georgines in the bucket with liquid, organic fertilizer

The application of fertilizer ends at the end of July at the latest, so that the tuber of each flower can mature well before winter.
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Diseases

Although lovingly cared for Georginas are largely resistant to diseases, the following health problems can occur:

• leaf spot disease: avoid dark, wet locations
• mildew: treat with repeated milk-water sprays (ratio 1:9)
• Tuber blight: Avoid waterlogging at all costs; create drainage in pots

pests

A dahlia's worst enemy is glish and extremely gluttonous. Unfortunately, georgines are at the top of the menu for snails. Therefore, surround the bed with a moving barrier or a snail fence. Collect the cold-resistant pests in the early hours of the morning. If the infestation gets out of hand, set up gap traps with slug pellets.
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hibernate

When the first frosty night is imminent, the tubers are picked up to move to their winter quarters. Cut back each flower to a height of 10 cm and then dig it up. Any soil still adhering is shaken off. In the days that follow, the georgines are left to dry upside down until all moisture has escaped from the remains of the stalk. Be sure to leave this stalk on the tuber, otherwise no shoots will form next year. How to hibernate in the basement:

• Fill wooden boxes with peat or sand and place the tubers in without touching each other
• Ideally, spread the flower bulbs out on a grid
• Store in a dark, cool room with temperatures between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius

If you don't have a basement, a frost-free garage or an unheated stairwell are sensible alternatives.
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multiply dahlias

To propagate georgines, divide the tubers in half after overwintering at the end of April. Very large onions can be sliced ​​into multiple segments as long as each piece has at least 2 eyes. Another option is to cut cuttings if you drive the georgines on the windowsill. In February/March, cut the cuttings from the bottom of the tuber and place them in a potting soil-sand mixture so that they root by mid-May.
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Is Dahlia Poisonous?

Not only are georgines completely non-toxic, but they have been used as food for generations. Unfortunately, it has been somewhat forgotten how tasty the tubers are. Not to forget the delicate aroma of the flowers, which also create a magical decoration for salads and cold buffets. Therefore, plant the flower in the family garden without any worries.
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Dahlias do not bloom

If a dahlia doesn't like something, the flower will signal its displeasure by refusing to bloom. With the help of structured root cause analysis, you can quickly track down the reason so that you can quickly take remedial action. The most common triggers for a failure to flower with tips can be found here at a glance:

• Unsuitable location: move the flower to a sunny and airy place
• Drought stress: water regularly as soon as the substrate surface has dried
• Nutrient deficiency: fertilize organically every 14 days from May to July
• Excess nitrogen: avoid mineral fertilizer preparations in favor of compost, guano and horn shavings

Also check the pH of the soil. If the result shows a value well below 6.5, add a portion of vital lime or rock flour into the substrate.

Can dahlias overwinter outside?

If you enjoy the privilege of cultivating your garden in a mild winter wine-growing region, you can dare the experiment. Before the first frost, cut back each flower to a height of 10 cm. Then heap the georgines with a layer of leaves, straw and needle brushwood that is at least 30 cm high. Spread more about it garden fleece or bubble wrap. Place georgines in a pot together with the container in the ground in a dry location, cut back the flower and spread the described protection over it.
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Beautiful varieties

• Kaiser Wilhelm: historic magnificent flower from 1881 with picturesque flower balls in yellow and reddish brown; Growth height 120 cm
• Bishop of Llandaff: A classic among the peony-flowered georgines with bright red flowers; Growth height 90-100 cm
• Karma Serena: Fantastically beautiful flower with white, double flowers and a yellow heart; Growth height 90 cm
• Cheerio: Imposing cactus dahlia whose crimson flowers are adorned with white tips; Growth height 80 cm
• Mount Noddy: Decorative dwarf dahlia for the window box with red flowers; Growth height up to 30 cm
• Libretto: Impressive ruffled dahlia with bicolored white and pink flowers; Growth height 60-80 cm
• Roter Schorsch: Red dwarf dahlia with flamed yellow flowers, which was voted Balcony Plant of the Year in 2009